Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. BELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,660, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed March 20, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs J. BELL, of Chicago, in the county of (lookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Railroad Gar Couplings, of which the following, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a railroad-car providedwith a coupling embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical centralsection; Fig. 3, a top view, representing a modification in thearrangement of the coup ling; and Fig. 4, a side view of the couplingasarranged in the manner indicated in Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention relates to that class of carcoupling in which the act ofcoupling is performed automatically, and which admits of uncouplingwithout the necessity of any one going between the cars for thatpurpose.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and operationof couplers of this class in the several respects hereinafter referredto; and to that end it consists in the means, substantially ashereinafter set forth, which I employ for that purpose.

A represents a railroad-car, and B is a drawhead. 0 is the coupler. Thiscoupler consists of a block made either wholly of metal or of metal andwood combined in such manner as to secure durability and strength, andso as to constitute an integral piece or part.

D is the body of the coupler, and E a hook extending outward from thecentral part of the body D. The outward end of this hook has twoengaging-flanges, a a, both inclining inward or toward the car to whichthe coupler is applied, and one extending above and the other below theconnecting bar or arm a. In other words, the hook may be termed a doublehook, and in form somewhat resembles a dart or spear-head, as is clearlyindicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It would also be proper to say that theforward or outward face or end of the hook E is beveled in oppositedirections, and that its engaging-faces are inclined in a similarmanner, though not necessarily to as great a degree, as the outer faces,or to such an extent as to make the outer and inner faces parallel toeach other.

(No model.)

F F are V-shaped recesses behind the flanges an. The inclined facesforming the recesses F F meet each other in lines parallel to the outeredges of the flanges a a, and are set far enough back therefrom to allowthe hook on one coupler to engage that on the other, and to be uncoupledtherefrom, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 2. When the hooks are engagedthe recesses FF will receive the outer ends of the hooks when the carsmore toward each other, or, (what amounts to the same thing,) when theflanges a a are thus moved apart. The recessed face of the body of thecoupler thus serves as a buffer.

The lower recess, F, in each coupler need not be employed, as the otherwill serve the purpose referred to; and when the lower recess is notemployed that part of the body D below the dotted line shown in Fig. 2may be dispensed with.

G G are extensions or cars projecting from the upper portion of the rearpart of the body D, and the couplers are pivoted or hinged to the upperpart of the front face of the drawbar by means of a bolt, H, passinghorizontally through the extensions G G and through from side to side ofthe draw-head. The coupler is thus so hung that when free it will extendforward in a horizontal or nearly horizontal line. It may, however, berocked or tilted up on the bolt H for the purpose of being uncoupledfrom its fellow, and for the purpose of automatic coupling, as willhereinafter more fully appear, it being understood that the beveledfaces of the hooks E E are so arranged, as shown, as to ride upon eachother to engagement as the cars approach each other for being coupled,the upper hook falling down and engaging the other as soon as theflanges a a pass each other.

I I are chains extendingfrom the top of the car down to the couplers, towhich the chains are securely fastened ata point in front of the bolt H,it being understood that the chains are also fastened to the top of thecar.

J is a crank rod or lever arranged horizontally across the end of thecar, and at a height to be conveniently reached and operated by a personstanding upon the ground. The ends of the lever J are bent downward andthen inward, so as to lie against the end of the car,

and also form a handle, and the central part of the lever is bowed orbent to stand outward from the end of the car, as shown at I) and brespectively.

The chain I is connected to the crank portion b, which stands outdirectly over the coupler when the cranks at the end of the lever lieagainst the eml of the car. It is to be understood that the lever J mayhe so turned in its bearings as to throw the extension h upward. When itis so turned, as it may be by seizing and raising the crank-handles I)I; for that purpose, the hook Ii will he raised and uncoupled from itsellow, owing to the connection of the chain I with the coupler aml withthe lever J, am] when the lever is released all the parts will move totheir proper places for coupling. The hooks may also be uncoupled by thedrawing up of the chain by a person on the top of the car, and all theparts will again return to their places as soon as the chain isreleased.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description am] from referenceto the drawings that the coupler is simple in its construction andoperation, durable, cheap, and eii'ective; that no one need gobctweenthe cars to couple them, as the coupling is perfiumcd automati cally,and that the cars can he uncoupled either at the sides near the ends orfrom the top, and hence that life is not endangered. The couplers arealso capable of being applied with facility. Each coupler properconsists of only one part, or, rather, of two twin parts, not includingthe means for connecting the couplers lo the draw-heads and foruncoupling. The means employed for uncoupling consists of only twoparts-the chain and the lever. The width of the hooks should be such asto allow the cars to have all the lateral movement they would he likelyto have under or dinary circumstances without becoming inicoupled. Thecouplers are also adapted, as will be perceived, to cars varyingconsiderably from each other in height.

To adapt these couplers for use in connec tion with the ordinarycoupling pin and link, I pierce the flanges a a, as shown at c c, toreceive the links, and also, as shown at c r", to receive the pin; and,as will he perceived, cars having such couplings may he coupled withfacility to cars provided with couplings embodying my invention,althoughthere may be a considerable diti'erence in the height of the cars. Theopenings c and 0', however, are not They also differ in the respect thatthey are so hinged to the draw-head as to swing laterally instead ofvertically, the engagement being at the sides instead of at the top andbottom and to render these laterally-vibrating couplers yielding intheir lateral movement, I place behind them the springs (l d, which alsoserve to hold these couplers in their proper places for couplingautomatically. A corresponding change in the means for uncoupling isalso made, the lever being arranged vertically, and its lower crank-armentering the coupler freely, and the chain extending across the end ofthe car, as shown.

In the arrangement of coupling shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I would regard itas essential to have a recess, F, on each side of the arm a.

0f the two modes of arranging the couplers I deem that shown in Figs. 1and 2 to be the best, as the uppermost coupler then falls into'engagement with its fellow by gravity and without the aid of springs.

I desire to state that I regard concave recesses F F as equivalent tothe V-shaped form thereof shown and described.

While these couplers will, under all ordinary circumstances, prevent theaccidental uncoupling of the cars, they will permit uncoupling by anunusual lateral movement, as when a carjumps the track.

I am aware that hook shaped automatic couplers have heretofore been madeand used, and I do not therefore here intend to claim such broadly; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the railway-car drawheads I3 B. the couplers O 0,having thereon the double-headed hooks E E, and the ears G G, eachcoupler having therein the recess F, arranged to receive the head of theengagingcoupling, the coupling-bolts H H, for connecting the couplersvibratively to the forward ends of the draw-heads, and means fordisengaging the said hooks, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. The combination of the railway-car drawheads B B, the couplers C 0,having thereon the double-headed hooks E E, and the earsG G, eachcoupler having therein arecess, F, to receive the head of the oppositecoupler, and containing the openings 0 and c, the couplingholts II II,the chains I I, and crank-levers J J, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as and for the purposes specified.

CHARLES J. BELL.

\Vitnesses:

F. F. WARNER, GEo. G. BELTON.

IIO

